As part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at Eastern Michigan University, MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid served as the keynote speaker.
A very energetic Joy-Ann Reid engaged about 400 people at the Student Center on campus. She took a couple of punches at President Donald Trump for comments he made that are being called racist. But her focus was on keeping Dr. King's dream alive by continuing the human rights movement talk.
"I think it's important to not allow MLK Day to become just a black people holiday when only African-Americans are supposed to pay attention to it."
EMU professor of Africology and African-American studies Ronald Woods attended the event.
"Dr. King's journey, as he was evolving, did not stay with race. It embraced the greater question of structural inequality in American and in the world."
Student Body Vice-President Larry Borum III says he was inspired by Reid's comments on the importance of voting.
"We need to start a marketing campaign or voter campaign, and we need to spread the word out."
Reid also talked about the importance of using MLK Day as a day of service.
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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu
